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Archives for September 2014

Researchers at JBEI and JGI led by Steve Singer of the Earth Sciences Division have developed an automated software program for sorting the genomes of individual microbial species from metagenomic sequences. This development could aid the production of new chemical materials, such as advanced biofuels or pharmaceutical drugs. More>

Uranium was long seen as the end of the periodic table, until 1932 when E.O. Lawrence invented the cyclotron, which smashed atoms and particles together, transforming one element into another. This is how synthetic plutonium was created in 1940 by a team led by Glenn Seaborg. More>

There is growing evidence that embracing diversity — in all its senses — is key to doing good science. But there is still work to be done to ensure that inclusivity is the default, not the exception. Read about one study showing how diversity of authors may boost your citation rate. More>

Check out the F$M Support Page to get help with the new financial system. There are five ways to get assistance: the F$M Knowledge Base, your local F$M Guide, the F$M web form, e-mail, or phone (starting Oct. 1). Visit the F$M Home Page for Project ID lookup, required LETS training, and key financial system links.

New studies of space dust captured by NASA’s Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector have shown that interstellar particles may be much more complex in structure and composition than previously thought. ­The tiny particles could give scientists chemical clues about the origins of our solar system. More>

As part of the U.S. Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E) program, run by the Department of Energy and the MIT Energy Initiative, Sila Kiliccote, leader of the Grid Integration Group in the Environmental Energy Technologies Division, was recognized for her accomplishments in the area of research leadership at the annual C3E Women in Clean Energy Symposium. More>

The New York Times reports that Google is undertaking a long-term effort to improve diversity in its work force, the centerpiece of which is a series of workshops aimed at making Google’s culture more accepting of diversity. Read about its struggles and view a video by one of its HR research analysts on hidden biases.

The Earth Sciences Division’s contributions to the Advanced Simulation Capability for Environmental Management — which marks the first attempt “to use high-performance computing uncertainty quantification to identify key controls at a contaminated site — was recently recognized in LANL’s Actinide Research Quarterly. More>